Note: Prince Yi in the previous chapter has been changed to “Prince of Yi” to avoid confusion with his father, who is also named Prince Yi.
The outer wall of the restaurant was snow-white, and the young man behind the round window was elegant and handsome, resembling a noble and pristine magnolia flower. One might think such a person would evoke a sense of aloofness, making others hesitant to approach. However, his face bore a gentle smile, making him appear particularly approachable.
“Who is that?” Gu Fu asked, looking at Wen Qize.
Wen Qize replied, “That is His Highness, the Prince of Yi.”
Gu Fu was momentarily stunned before she realized that Wen Qize had said “Prince of Yi” (çżźç) and not the similarly pronounced but differently written “Prince Yi” (çżç).
However, the two were somewhat related. The Prince of Yi’s father was none other than the seventh son of the former emperor, Prince Yi, who had rebelled nine years ago.
Back then, Prince Yi’s estate was confiscated due to the rebellion. The princess consort of Prince Yi set a large fire in the estate and disguised a servant’s child as her own son, the heir of Prince Yi, allowing him to escape death. He wandered for three years until six years ago when the current emperor found him. Out of consideration for their familial ties, the emperor restored his father’s title to him and even gave him a new title with the same pronunciation but different characters, implying that although he was the son of Prince Yi, he would not be influenced by his father’s actions.
At that time, Gu Fu had not yet left home, so she remembered it very clearly. The capital was in an uproar over this matter.
Later, when Gu Fu went to the northern border, there was a time when Guo Jian got drunk and rambled on to her, saying that the emperor’s move was brilliant. After three years of preparation, he used Prince Yi’s orphan to showcase his benevolence, making the powerful aristocratic families who were gradually becoming uncontrollable think that as long as they stopped resisting, the emperor would spare them, causing them to waver and even betray their allies to gain the emperor’s favor.
The result was that none of them were spared from being purged.
Gu Fu withdrew her thoughts and said to Wen Qize, “Regarding today’s events, I hope that the heir apparent and His Highness, the Prince of Yi, can pretend not to have seen anything, so as to avoid rumors spreading.”
Gu Fu herself was not afraidâher reputation as fierce and formidable was well known, and even foreign generals had been defeated by her. If someone claimed that she couldn’t handle a few local ruffians, no one would believe it. But Mu Qingyao was different. If someone deliberately excluded Gu Fu from the story, making Mu Qingyao, a delicate young woman, the subject of rumors, it would certainly not be a good thing.
Wen Qize agreed and promised that he would personally bind these ruffians and take them to the authorities. He had connections at the yamen, so with just a word, these scoundrels would naturally suffer and keep their mouths shut.
Gu Fu replied, “Thank you, Heir Apparent.”
While they were talking, the coachman and the guards dragged the ruffians lying on the ground to the side, clearing the road for the carriage to pass.
Gu Fu stepped into the carriage and, after lifting the curtain, saw Mu Qingyao covering her face inside. She paused for a moment and then looked back at Wen Qize, who had turned his body away, avoiding looking in the direction of the carriage.
The coachman drove the carriage away, and it wasn’t until they turned onto the main road that Gu Fu said to Mu Qingyao, “You can stop covering your face now.”
Mu Qingyao still covered her face, not moving. “Let me take a moment.”
Mu Qingyao was used to presenting herself as a dignified lady in front of others, even when she occasionally acted a bit spoiledâit was always done deliberately and with perfect control.
It was the first time someone unfamiliar had seen her in such a distressed state.
So, she needed a moment to calm down.
Gu Fu knew she would manage her emotions on her own, so she left her to it.
Sure enough, as soon as the carriage stopped in front of the Gu family residence, Mu Qingyao immediately lowered her hands, her face showing no signs of anything amiss, as if nothing had happened. It was as if they had simply taken a detour and then arrived home safely.
After they arrived, Gu Fu helped Mu Qingyao organize the deeds and account books and stayed for dinner.
Once everything was done, Gu Fu returned to Feique Pavilion to change clothes, preparing to go to Qitian Tower.
Before she left through the window, Lu Zhu specifically reminded her, “Miss, remember to come back early.”
Gu Fu was speechless.
Gu Fu had come to realize that while Li Yuming was the official Commander of the Secret Cabinet on the surface and Fu Yan was secretly in charge, the Emperor was actually the true master of the Secret Cabinet. With just one order, everyone was watching her to make sure she didn’t spend the night at Qitian Tower.
Unbelievable.
However, Gu Fu didn’t expect that something even more surprising was yet to come.
Fu Yan had once considered replacing the low table he frequently used with a taller one, so that he could hold Gu Fu on his lap while sitting.
But when the table and chairs were moved to the seventh floor of Qitian Tower, Fu Yan threw them into a corner.
Because Yi Ye and Yi Hua had received the Emperor’s ordersâday or night, as long as Gu Fu was present, they had to keep a close eye on them, ensuring that they didn’t cross the line.
So why bother changing the table and chairs?
Gu Fu was unaware of this situation and, seeing that Yi Ye was idle and not going downstairs, curiously asked him, “What are you staying here for?”
After holding it in for a while, Yi Ye finally replied, “Itâs the Emperorâs order. He told me to keep an eye on the two of you.”
Gu Fu suddenly turned to look at Fu Yan, who nodded. Only then did Gu Fu realize that the Emperor was truly determinedânot allowing them to act recklessly anymore, no matter what.
In response, Gu Fu played the konghou for an hour, thinking she was expressing her deep sorrow and frustration through music. Little did she know how much Yi Ye was tortured by it, almost wanting to jump off the tower. On the other hand, the Secret Cabinet guards on the eaves outside were so used to it that they listened without even a change in their breathing.
One would think that after satisfying their cravings, the two would calm down. But the Emperor’s anger made them kneel in punishment, and with Yi Ye staying beside them to watch, it only made them think about that matter even more.
Perhaps the Emperor was rightâthese two were rebellious by nature. The more they were forbidden to do something, the more they wanted to do it.
The next day, Gu Fu went to the palace for her lessons. Some of the ladies were discussing yesterdayâs results of the selection of candidates for the imperial posts. Others were exchanging portraits they had purchased, trading them with one another. A few gathered together, talking about various strange incidents that had been summarized in the capital over the past few days.
For example, last year during Laba, Prince Ying’s residence was attacked by an assassin, and Prince Ying was almost shot dead by the Imperial Preceptor, who mistook him for the assassin. The assassin has yet to be caught, but itâs said that ever since then, many residents of Xuan Yang Street have reported hearing footsteps on their rooftops, but when they go out to check, thereâs nothing there.
Someone started shouting that it wasnât an assassin but a ghost; otherwise, how could they have not caught the person by now?
The storytellers even took this incident and added all sorts of nonsense to it, claiming that there was no way the Imperial Preceptor could have missed. They said that arrow must have been aimed at the assassin, but because the assassin wasnât human but a ghost, the arrow passed right through and ended up hitting Prince Ying instead.
Among the girls gathered in discussion, one who lived on Ren’an Alley said, “Itâs absolutely true! Just last year on the night of Laba, I saw a shadow outside my window, and I was so scared I nearly cried. Later, I mustered the courage to open the window, but there was nothing outside. Isnât that strange?”
The culprit, Gu Fu, guiltily sipped her tea.
Another tale was about a recently popular tavern. The owner often said that when the tavern first opened, a jar of wine was stolen one night, but in its place on the shelf was a bag of money for the wine.
So people started saying that the wine from that tavern was so good that even spirits and ghosts loved to drink it.
Gu Fu, finding the story familiar, asked them, “Whatâs the name of this wine thatâs so amazing?”
The girls told her, “Itâs called ‘Huang Sha Tang’.”
Gu Fu: “…”
Mystery solved. She was the one who took that jar of wine and left the money. Gu Fu still remembered that it happened on New Year’s Eve, and she brought the wine to Qitian Tower, where she shared a bowl with Fu Yan.
Now that this story had spread, it was probably because Guo Jian was short on money again and used this old tale as a gimmick to get people to buy his wine.
There were also other strange tales, such as eerie singing heard late at night in an abandoned house in the southern part of the city; a ship at the Western Market dock that carried little cargo but sat low in the water; and an official who had come to the capital to report for duty encountered a conman, and when the conman was thrown into the water, he didnât struggle but sank straight to the bottom and disappeared… Altogether, there were seven or eight such stories.
Gu Fu confirmed that only two of these strange incidents were related to her, so she didnât pay much attention, just treating them as entertainment.
In the afternoon, the Empress summoned Gu Fu to Fengyi Palace. The last time they met, they had parted on bad terms due to disagreements, but this time, they both chose to compromise.
The Empress said, “No path is easy, but if we can spare future generations some suffering, then a little hardship now is worth it.”
Gu Fu responded, “Letâs find a middle way. We wonât change our original intentions, but thereâs no need to lay our plans bare.”
The two quickly agreed and began searching for a third option.
During their meeting, Nanny Jing brought in tea and snacks, and the Empress suddenly remembered something, asking Gu Fu, “Has my nephew been to see you lately?”
The Empress’s nephew? Li Yu?
Gu Fu shook her head, then slowly realizedâ the second daughter of the Gu family had no connection to Li Yu, so there was no reason for him to seek her out unless…
Gu Fu cautiously asked, “Did Li Yu… find out?”
The Empress gave a bitter smile and nodded.
But when Gu Fu pressed her for Li Yu’s reaction, the Empress couldnât find the words and just let out a long sigh.
On Xuan Yang Street, the low-key carriage heading towards Qitian Tower suddenly sank. The driver barely had time to stop the carriage before turning around, lifting the curtain, and drawing the short knife hidden in his boot.
“Yow yow yow yow yow!!!” The unexpected visitor let out a strange cry and, without any decorum, retreated to the innermost part of the carriage, using Fu Yan, who was seated inside, as a shield.
Fu Yan: “⌠Stand down.”
Only then did the driver sheathe his knife and signal to the hidden guards that they didn’t need to emerge.
The uninvited guest leisurely stepped out from behind Fu Yan. He was an ordinary-looking man, neither handsome nor uglyâsomeone you would lose sight of in a crowd in the blink of an eye.
However, he was dressed in a snow-white Taoist robe. If he were mute and didnât babble incessantly, he might actually have an air of ethereal elegance.
Fu Yan addressed him as “Senior Brother.”
This was Fu Yanâs senior brother, the eldest disciple under the Celestial Master of PenglaiâSi Ya. Without any formality, Si Ya asked, “So, whatâs the deal? Why did you summon me?”
Fu Yan replied, “I need your help to deceive people.”
With a grand wave of his sleeve, Si Ya cheerfully said, “Easy, who are we deceiving?”
Fu Yan casually said, “The entire capital.”
Si Ya was stunned: “What?”
Fu Yan lowered his gaze. “Iâll explain the specifics once we enter the palace. Itâs my idea, but I need the approval of three others.”
The more Si Ya listened, the more confused he became: “We need to go to the palace? And what do you mean by âyour ideaâ? Who are these three other people?”
Fu Yan briefly explained the dilemma that Gu Fu and the Empress were currently facing and said to him, “As long as His Majesty, Her Majesty, and AâFu agree, the rest is up to you.”
Si Ya and Fu Yan were polar oppositesânot only did Si Ya love to laugh and talk, but he also had a carefree and unserious nature. After hearing Fu Yanâs explanation, his attention was entirely focused on Gu Fu: “That âAâFuâ is your wife, right?”
Fu Yan: “Mm.”
Si Ya chuckled: “Thatâs a nice name. Come on, tell me her birth date and time; Iâll do a fortune reading for you two.”
Fu Yan knew that his senior brother was a master at making people happy with his smooth talk, and even though he knew it was just for fun, he still wanted to hear some good words from him. So, he told Si Ya Gu Fu’s birth date and time.
Feigning seriousness, Si Ya shook his head and said, “Oh, it turns out you two were fated in a previous life. However… tsk tsk, your previous lives didnât end well, which is why youâre together in this one. Donât worry, this lifetime youâll definitely grow old together.”
But Fu Yan, who beneath his otherworldly appearance harbored a deep and insatiable desire for Gu Fu, was not satisfied with the words “didnât end well” from their past life, even though Si Ya had assured them theyâd be together this lifetime.
Disregarding any brotherly bond, he coldly said to Si Ya, “Say another word, and I’ll cut off your head.”
“Alright, alright, Iâll stop. No need to be so fierce.” Si Ya loudly muttered, making sure Fu Yan could hear him, “Your hairâs already white; donât let yourself get any wrinkles from all this anger. You donât want to end up looking like an old man at a young age, or your wife might not want you anymore.”
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